


Some Unexpected Guests

by gigizazu



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Baby Fíli and Kíli, Eventual Romance, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, hobo king under the mountain, pre-adventure, they meet before they adventure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-03-08 11:57:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3208313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gigizazu/pseuds/gigizazu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon his 33rd birthday, young Bilbo sets out to the north to settle his Mother's affairs and sell the house she was keeping shortly before her death. Upon reaching the house, he is surprised to find it occupied by the starving prince of Erebor, and his sister's orphaned sons.</p><p>((Pre-adventure AU story where Bilbo and Thorin meet before the quest for Erebor))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not Alone

Snow was falling thickly over the human town of Abbot's Gold when Bilbo Baggins walked through the city gate. The town was far north of the shire, or further north then any Baggins had been for decades at least. This particular Baggins was deeply regretting the choice to settle his mother's affairs personally instead of sending one of his hoard of Tookish cousins in his stead; but It was only a passing thought. He knew as much as he disliked the trip and already disliked the city, his mother's house needed to be seen to by none other then her son. She would have had it no other way, so neither would Bilbo.

Now if only she'd chosen a city that was less confusticatingly cold. He was numb and soaked to the skin by the time he finally reached the large house at the edge of the trade district which had belong to Belladonna Took. Fumbling in his pocket for the key he noticed something odd out of the corner of his eye. There were footprints in the snow leading up to the door. Some were newer, some older, and they came in three different sizes.

He knew Paladin, a cousin from his mother's side, had been there to lock up the house until Bilbo could make the trip. However, these footprints were not from hobbit feet and some appeared to be almost as fresh as his own. Heart in his throat, he tried the door and found it unlocked.

He stepped into the dark entryway slowly. The house was built for humans, and the disproportionately tall walls only made the air heavier and more foreboding as he inched further in, step after step. Occasionally he paused to check the doors in the hall. Each one was locked, just as Paladin said they would be. Perhaps, he thought, some people had been up by the house to appraise it but hadn't entered. It was possible, yet Bilbo couldn't shake the feeling that someone was, at that moment, watching him from the shadows.

At the end of the hall he came to a large sitting room, comfortably furnished and filled with knickknacks as was his mother's style. For a moment, he relaxed. Nothing appeared to be out of place. However as he turned towards the fireplace his heart sank again. There were glowing embers in the fireplace. Somone most definatly had been in here and very recently too.

He turned and made a dash towards the door, intending to flee from the house to the nearest City Watch outpost. His foot landed on something sharp before he could reach the entry hall and he stumbled into an armchair with a yelp. After a moment of reorientation, he looked to see what he'd stepped on. A small wooden toy soldier was left haphazardly on the rug in front of the fire place.

Bilbo picked it up to examine it more closely. It was no toy of his, that was for certain. It didn't appear to be shire made either. Shirefolk weren't fond of toy soldiers. Moreover the craftsmanship looked too fine for most hobbit whittlers. If he had to guess, he'd say it was dwarven. The fact that the toy was of a dwarf ridding atop a large bore supported that theory.

As Bilbo was examining the toy in the dim light, he heard a small noise from somewhere further in the house. He pocketed the toy and followed it, the much more sensible idea of going to the Watch Post forgotten for the moment. At the end of the hall was a kitchen which had no door to it, and so had not been locked up.

“Hello?” he called. There was a long moment where there was no response. Just as Bilbo was about to give up, he heard it again; A quiet childlike whimper. It was coming from the cabinets beside the pantry door. Bilbo took hold of the door and pulled it open.

Inside he was surprised to see two small dwarrows huddled in the back of the tiny space. One was blond and slightly larger then the other, who was dark haired. Both looked terrified and rather sickly. Bilbo barely had time to register the image before the smaller Dwarrow suddenly burst into tears and let out a loud shriek. The blond one pulled out a tiny pocket knife and brandished it at Bilbo, moving so he was between Bilbo and the smaller one.

“Don't hurt us!” he was clearly trying to be intimidating though the shaking of his voice rather ruined the illusion.  


“Hurt...what...I-” Bilbo's words died away when he felt the tip of a blade pressed to the base of his spine. He froze. He felt the knife's holder lean close and hiss into his ear in a low growl.  


“Don't hurt the dwarrows. Just let us leave and you'll come to no harm.”  
Bilbo raised his hands, his heart pounding in his chest.  


“T-take whatever you want.” he said as soon as he caught enough breath to speak. “I'm unarmed. I-I didn't come to hurt anyone.”

The point of the blade grazed his skin, lightly enough to make him shiver but left no cut behind, as it's owner moved in front of Bilbo. It came to rest against his adam's apple.

“We are not thieves.” He was a tall dwarf with long black hair, like the smaller Dworrow in the cabinet. He glared at Bilbo with fierce blue eyes, which did little to calm the panicking hobbit.

“Then what are you?” he asked, trying to avoid the dwarve's eyes.

“We...” He faltered and moved the blade away from Bilbo's throat, but did not put it away. “We needed a place to stay. We've picked only one lock and we've taken nothing. Just let us leave.”

“A place to... You're squatters?” Bilbo backed to the wall, hands still up. The dwarf lowered his head and did not answer. He turned and scooped up the two dwarrows before turning towards the door. Bilbo dropped his hands and stuck them in his pockets where he felt something pointed. He pulled out the toy and called out without thinking “Wait.”

The dwarf turned back to him stiffly and Bilbo cursed himself. Lamely, he held up the toy. The dwarf stared at it and said nothing.

“It's um... Yours right?” he asked.

“ 's mine.” said the black haired dwarrow. He was silenced by a look from the dwarf. Slowly he shifted the children in his arms, so he could reach out and take the toy from Bilbo's outstretched hand. He passed it to the dwarrow, staring at Bilbo with an air of uncertainty.

After another long awkward pause, Bilbo cleared his throat.

“So...” Bilbo said folding his hands behind his back “I'm Bilbo Baggins at your service.” Politeness never hurt after all.  


“Thorin Oakensheild.” he said quietly.

“Fili and Kili.” said the Dwarrows in unison.

“The blond is Fili, the other is Kili.” Thorin explained setting them down. “Come on children, let's gather our things.”  


“Where are you going to go?” asked Bilbo.  


“We'll find some place.” Thorin replied.  


“In the middle of the night in the coldest part of winter?” Bilbo frowned. A very Tookish impulse was building in his mind and he didn't like it one bit. But those children were too small to survive the night without shelter. He may not have been the adventurer his mother was, but he was hardly enough of a coward to let them come to harm out of fear. “Please just... stay here.” he choked out.

The dwarf looked up at him again, with a shocked expression. It faded away to suspicion and he examined Bilbo closely.

“At what price?” he demanded.  


“None.” he said. It wasn't as if they had anything to pay with. This seemed to raise the dwarve's hackles further.  


“Everything has a price.” he hissed walking over. “I am no fool. I know the way of these lands.”  


“I'm not from these lands.” Bilbo said cowering away “I'm from the Shire, and Shirefolk bloody well don't let children die of cold, alright! If you want a price, how about don't stab me. Seems a fair price.”

At that he relaxed and finally sheathed his knife.  
“You have a deal.” he said. He stalked past him back to the living room, leaving Bilbo to catch his breath.


	2. Dinner and Floral Bedspreads

Being left alone in the kitchen gave Bilbo some time to calm down and remember that he hadn't eaten since second breakfast. He found focusing on the mundane problem of hunger grounded his thoughts, and helped him dispel the panic which had come from being threatened unexpectedly with a knife. He found one of the pantries just across the hall from the kitchen and unlocked the door.

Of course, there was very little left in the pantry. Paladin had seen to it that all spoilable goods were removed. Taking stock, he found three bags of rice, some dried meat and a few herbs. Everything else had been donated to the poor of the city, which had saved the house from smelling like a compost heap, but left slim pickings in terms of ingredients. Never the less, he soon had some well seasoned rice cooking in the old fireplace. Hobbits were resourceful creatures. Especially when it came to food.

Within a few moments, a pleasant aroma filled the kitchen. Bilbo stirred the rice happily, feeling quite a lot better then he had a moment before. A creaking floorboard brought his attention towards the door. Two wide copper eyes were peering at him from around the door frame.

"Kili, right?" said Bilbo, trying his best to sound friendly rather then exhausted. The tiny dwarf stepped into the room, bobbing his head and staring at the pot over the fire.

"What's that?" He said. "It smells good, Mr. Boggins."

"Baggins."  he corrected "and it's just rice. You're welcome to it, if you'd like some."

Kili smiled widely and beckoned to Fili over his shoulder. Soon he and his brother were sitting at the table chattering to each other excitedly in a language Bilbo didn't recognize. They squealed like baby pigs when he sat their bowls in front of them.

"Is this really all for us?"Kili asked. His brother was already digging in, eating as though he expected the food to be taken from him at any moment.

"Yes." Bilbo said, filling a bowl for himself.  
"There's so much." Kili said as he started eating. Bilbo looked over. The proportion he gave them were perfectly reasonable to his reckoning. Then again perhaps dwarves ate less then hobbits, like men and elves.  
"If it's too much, you don't have to finish it." he salted his own bowl and took a bite. It had come out rather well, given the lack of ingredients. "What language were you speaking earlier?"

"Khuzdul" came a reply from somewhere to Bilbo's left. Thorin stood in the doorway scowling at them. Bilbo was beginning to wonder if his face was capable of other expressions.

"Master Oakensheild." said Bilbo with a nod "I assumed you'd gone to sleep."

"How could I? With all the clinking and shuffling in here?"

"Uncle doesn't sleep well." said Fili around a mouthful of rice. Thorin gave him a look.

"Don't speak with your mouth full." he said. Fili lowered his head and mumbled am apology.

"Well. As you are awake. Might I offer you some rice?" Said Bilbo as he finished his bowl.

"It's really good!" said Kili excitedly.

"I'm not hungry." he said just as his stomach let out a loud growl. He shut his eyes and muttered what was probably a curse.

"It's really no trouble." said Bilbo, serving up the last of the rice. "I made plenty."

He took the bowl with a mumbled thanks and sat next to his nephews. They both scooted their chairs over to lean against him as he ate. His face softened a little and he pressed his forehead to each of theirs in turn.

"It's good isn't it?" said Fili.

"It's alright." he said. "We haven't had anything other then bread in a long time, have we? It's nice to have some rice instead."

"Mmmhm!"

Bilbo slipped out quietly. He began unlocking the series of doors that lead up to the master bedroom at the very top floor. Yavanna's garden, his mother must have gotten very paranoid to have installed this many locks. Perhaps it had been the prior owners. Hopefully that was the case. Bilbo hated to think of his mother living in fear.

When he reached the master bedroom, Bilbo took off his waistcoat and suspenders, intending to simply collapse into the large bed. The bedspread was floral and smelled of his mother's perfume, which filled Bilbo with a pang of sadness. Smoothing the wrinkles from the bed, he realized with a sad smile that his mother would be furious of she knew he planned to sleep in his clothing.

_You're wearing your clothing to bed like some sort of little Goblin?_

He could see her face now. Her lips used to become thin when something annoyed her and her nostrils would flare, which always make giggling difficult even when Bilbo knew he was in trouble. He was never afraid of his mother. No mater how red her face grew, or how narrow her eyes got, nothing could dispel the kindness in her face. Even when she was her angriest, she always hugged Bilbo to her, smoothing his hair and comforting him. She never yelled at him, not really. Bilbo sniffed, and tried to ignore the sudden ache in his chest.

After a long while he shook his head to clear Belladonna's image from it. he made his way back towards the door, intent on retrieving his pajamas. This was, he decided, her house and so even in her absence, he would follow her rules. No matter how petty or nonsensical they seemed.

In the living room, Fili and Kili were fast asleep on the couch. Thorin was watching them from across the room, fiddling with an unlit pipe.

"I have some Old Toby if you're out." he said with a forced smile. He was far too tired to feel social but walking by silently would have been incredibly rude. “It's the finest pipeweed in The Shire.”

"They didn't nag you into feeding them did they?" He asked.

"Not at all. I was cooking myself some supper, and they very politely asked for some." said Bilbo pulling out his tobacco pouch. He offered Thorin a pinch, which he took with a slight twitch of the lips. "Your sons seem very well mannered, though I've only known them for an hour or two."

"They're not mine." he said as he prepared his pipe. "They're my sister's."

"I see. Does she live here too?" said Bilbo.

Thorin looked down and wordlessly shook his head, his expression telling Bilbo all he need know about the situation. Bilbo felt the ache in his chest grow sharper. The boys had also recently lost a mother, it seemed. He hurriedly looked away, afraid his overly-moist eyes were going to glint in the low firelight

"Oh." he looked back to the boys sleeping on the couch. “I-I see.” He opened and closed his mouth a few times, attempting to formulate some word of apology or comfort, but nothing came to his mind. He'd never been very good at these sort of things, and still retaining a good deal of the youthful awkwardness of his 20's to boot. Helplessly, he went to retrieve his pajamas, deciding it would be best to leave the dwarf to his contemplations.

“Bilbo.” 

Bilbo paused at the foot of the stairs and looked back to Thorin. Thorin's eyes met his and he stood, straightening his shoulders. He bowed his head slightly.

“It's good to see them full and sleeping peacefully for once.” he said.

Bilbo nodded.

“You're welcome.”


End file.
